Choices are Forever
by Katniss.TheMockingjay2016
Summary: Bella has chosen, but for how long? *review and tell me how it is. and please PM me if you have ideas for another fanfiction, i have any errors or ideas for future chapters... thanks :
1. Chapter 1: My Personal Sun

Choices are Forever, or Are They Really?

*All these Characters belong to Stephanie Meyer. I do not own any of these characters.

Chapter One: Thoughts and HIM

I can feel the wind in my hair; I can smell the ocean brime in the wind. I open my eyes and I see the cliff of La Push in front of me. I lean over the edge and inhale a breath. The ocean below me is churning violently and it almost makes me not want to jump but then I feel a hot hand on my back. I turn around and look into Jake s brown eyes. I smiled up at him and he smiles the smile he knows that I love.

He extends his hand towards me and I take it willingly. We move towards the edge of the cliff and he begins to jump. Suddenly, I can clearly see Edward s face in my head when I told him I choose Jake. It crumbles me to pieces; it makes me let go of Jake s hand and fall into the churning water below us. As I am falling through the air, Edward s face is in the forefront of my brain. I can clearly see the pain on his face as I tell him that I choose Jake and that he can leave. It breaks my heart but I love Jake and Jake loves me. Jake can give me everything that Edward can not give me and that s what I truly want. I hit the water and begin to sink further under the water. His image swims in front of my eyes and I begin to see blackness everywhere...

I jolt upright in my bed and almost fall out of it. Stone, cold hands grab me before I begin to fall off the bed. I look up into Edward s golden eyes and the guilt takes place in my heart. I just dreamed about what it would be like if I chose Jake instead of Edward. He smiles his crooked smile down at me and my stomach flips.

What s wrong my love? Edward asks me in his velvet voice. Nothing. I had a bad dream. I replied, avoiding his eyes. He puts his hand on my chin and pulls me to face him. He searches my face and I am worried about what he finds there.

What was it about may I ask? He asks, his eyes melting to make it look like honey.

No you may not. And, even if you did, I wouldn t tell you. I said, hoping he didn t notice how my voice shook as I said it.

It sounds as if it were a very bad dream. If I can t ask you what your dream was about, can I ask you why you don t want to tell me about it? That would only be fair. He replied, smiling the smile he knew would melt my heart.  
Of course you can ask that. I don t want to tell you because you would be mad at me and rethink our latest agreement. I replied sheepishly. I tried to look down but he still held my chin in his hands. Again, his eyes searched my face and I guess they found what he wanted because he finally let my chin go. I looked down at my hands and I began to intertwine my hands together until he took both of my hands in his.

I could never be mad at you for anything you told me. I promise you that I will not get mad; you know you can tell me anything. I have never gotten mad at you for anything you have told me and I never will. Now that you know that, Please tell me what s wrong with my Bella before I go mad. He replied, with no hint of joking in his tone. I looked up at his expression and it was unreadable.

Fine . Before I start I want to clarify something. It isn t a very bad dream but I really don t want to tell you but I guess I have to . I said, hoping that he would stop me from saying anything else but he didn t, of course. So, I continued, I dreamed that I was standing on top of the cliffs in La Push with Jake. Before I jumped, your face popped into my head. But, it wasn t a very pleasant face. Apparently, I told you that I chose Jake instead of you. I also told you that I never wanted to see you ever again. Well . Is that all? Or is there more to this horrid dream that woke you up? He asked, with a hint of a smile in his tone.

No, that s all. I woke up because well I fell off the cliff as I clutched at my chest. It hurt me to tell you that but I uh .. loved Jake. I said, whispering the last two words.

Well, do you love him or is that just a dream? He asks. I can feel his arms wrap around my waist and they feel tense. I look up and meet his eyes. My eyes begin to tear up as I see the pain I saw in my dream on his face right now. You do love Jake, I tell myself. I bury my face in his chest to hide my tears. It s okay, Bella. I am not mad at you. I just want you to answer me.

Yes I love him . But I don t want to hurt you. I manage to sob out. I look up into his eyes and the pain has been replaced with a stone-cold mask.

I am going to be the bigger man and back down. I am not going to make you choose any longer. I know who you would choose if I made you choose; you would choose me. I am alright with this. Bella, just remember that I will always love and you will always be my life. He whispers in my ear. He slides off of my bed and begins to pull on his shoes. I bury my face in my pillow and begin to sob into my pillow. I hear the buttons of his phone beeping and I can also hear him whispering in the phone but he is talking too low for me to hear with my human ears. My thoughts automatically jumped to Jake. I thought about the joy he would feel when I told him that I choose him .

Bella? Are you okay? Please, don t be upset. I told you that I will be okay. You don t have to worry about me. He said, trying to reassure me but he only made it worse. I heard him walk across the room, but before he reached my bed there was a sound that made me jump. I quit breathing and began to think of all the things that could be there and then realized that there were no vampires come to get me outside my window; all of the bad vampires were dead.

Bella! Open the window! I heard Jake hiss. Happiness washed through me as I realized Jake was here. Then, the regret and guilt swept through me. I looked over at Edward and mouthed you called him. He shook his head yes, confirming me that he called Jake to come and comfort me instead of doing it himself. He walked over to my window and opened it. Jake slid in and walked over to me. He scooped me up in his arms and pulled me close. I relaxed into his chest and breathed in the scent of woods.

Bells, honey, what s wrong?

N...Nnn...Nothing, Jake. I need to tell you something. I replied, barely getting it out. I heard Edward open and close my door, giving Jake and I some privacy.

Well, what is it Bells? Come on, tell me please. Jacob whispers in my ear, letting his breath fan over my face.

I had a dream that I chose you instead of Edward. It woke me up and I told Edward. Then, I started to cry and I guess he called you. Now, you re here and I m explaining it to you. I said, barely above a whisper. I still felt guilty for choosing Jake but I know that this is the best for me. I love Jake to death and he loves me back. That is all that matters to me right now.

"So, why am I in here and he s out there? Jake asks. He sounds confused and I want to cry. I didn t have the strength to tell him that I chose him instead of Edward, so I just leaned forward and pressed my lips to his. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me so close I could barely breathe. He pulled us towards my bed and we fell backwards.

"Okay, we can t do this now. I said breathless. I look up into his eyes and his smile is genuine. I smile back at him as he leans down to kiss me on the lips. I smile up at him and he shines his white teeth at me. He chuckles and says,

"So, where is your bloodsucker?"

"Jake, really? I thought we were over the name calling?" I reply and then Edward jumps into my room through the open window. I can see Jake's jaw tighten and Edward's teeth are clenched. I hate it when they get that way; they know that when they get that way they hurt me immensely. "Well, I think we all need to talk."

"And just what is there to talk about? You chose me and I'm not going to share with the bloodsucker." Jake snarls at me. Edward's jaw clenches even tighter and gives Jake a look that would kill him if it could. I shake my head in disbelief at the mess I have made. Edward turns towards me and tries his hardest to piece together my facial expression with my emotions. Abviously, he didn't figure it out because he soon gave up and turned away.

"We all know I chose you but that doesn't mean I can't ever see Edward again. I promise you that from this day on I will never be romantically involved with Edward Cullen. When I say I choose you, I mean I choose YOU and no one else." I said, trying to sound firm but it comes out weak. They both turn in my direction and Jake looks like he just might kill me. Edward, on the other hand, looks like he agrees completely and that surprises me. I thought that he would hate Jacob Black as long as Jake lived but I guess I was wrong, as always.

"I am willingly withdrawing from the "competition" that we have going here, Jacob. You win, fair and square. If you allow me to see Bella, I will not so much as touch her unless nessasary. I can promise you that But... She is only yours until she says otherwise." Edward says, looking straight at Jake. The last part made Jake really mad and that made me mad at Jake. Does he really think I would do him like that? I love him with all my heart, but it seems Jake is blinded by his hatred. I just wish he could see just how much I love him.

"I will let Bella do whatever she wants, as long as it doesn't hurt her. I may seem like I don't care but I really do. I love Bella with everything I have and I don't want to share her with anyone, especially you. But, if Bella wants to see you, then she can see you whenever she wants as long as she wants and as often as she wants." He says, which makes me smile; it shows how much he truly cares about me. He looks at me and asks, "Bella, would you still like to see Edward?"

"Ummm... I ummm... I think maybe it would be best if I hold off on that answer until later. I'm confused at the moment." I say to Jake. I look at Edward and say, "Edward, I will let you know if I want to see you again. I have you cell number so I will call when I figure it out. Until then, I wish that you would not contact me in any way. It would make it easier on me." I look down at the ground as I say this. I hear them talking but I am not sure to who at the moment. Their voices keep becoming clearer and clearer as I realize I fainted. It must have been to much for me to handle.

"Bella... Honey, are you okay?" I hear Jake murmuring in my ear. I look up at him and he smiles his radiant smile down at me. My heart begins to jump out of my chest as it expands with the love that is fanning out in waves from him.

"W...ww... What happened?" I stuttered. I was really confused about what had happened that I almost didn't know where I was. Jake looked down at me and he looked worried to death. I felt really bad knowing that I was the source of his worry as I always was. It seemed like I was always the one that made him worry.

"I'm not exactly sure. I think you fainted but you were out for too short of time for us to even realize what had happened... Edward left before you woke up but he told me to tell you that he will always love you no matter who you choose. Bella, he truly loves you. I'm not just saying that to make you feel better. I'm saying it because it's true." He whispers. I look up at him and he looks down at me. I can see the hurt in his eyes and it seems that the hurt always has something to do with me. I know that's not true but it seems like it. I love Jake and I think I always have; it's just really hard to love him when I know I have hurt Edward in the process. I shake that thought away and try to focus on Jake.

"Ohh... Why did he leave?" I ask, trying not to let my hurt saturate my voice.

"He said he wanted to give us some space to talk or something like that." He replied. It didn't make sense to me for him to leave and not say goodbye unless he never wanted me in the first place; that was the only way our situation made sense to me in my head. I had loved him with everything I had but maybe he knew it would never be enough. Maybe Alice had a vision about me chosing Jake and so Edward decided to move on. Or maybe be never wanted me and never would so he tried to push me away and block me out...

"Bells, honey... where did you go?"

"I'm here, Jake. I just got lost in thought." I replied but my voice sounded off to me; as if I was talking through my nose. That's when Jake wrapped his arms around me and started rocking me back and forth.

"Shh... Bells, it's okay... I'm here..." Jake whispered in my ear over and over again as I realized that I was crying. I had never cried infront of Jake and had never wanted to but right now I didn't care; I had just wasted six months and almost married a person that I thought loved me. Edward had taken my heart and broke it into millions of tiny pieces; my heart would never be the same. Then I looked up into Jake's brown eyes and remembered that with my personal sun by my side I could conquer the world.


	2. Chapter 2: Unconditional Love

Chapter Two: Love in the Air

"I love you, Jake." I whispered in his ear. He looked down at me and grinned the grin he knew I loved.

"I love you more than you know, Bells." He whispered back. I look into his eyes and he looks into mine. He leans forward and kisses me lightly on the lips. He pulls away and smiles down at me; I smile back up at him. "So, what are you wanting to do today?"

"I'm not sure. What were you planning today before all of this happened?" I asked him, playing with my hands; it was a nervous habit that I have always done. Jake grabbed my hands and intertwined out fingers together. I looked up at him and smiled sheepishly; he knew me so well.

"I didn't have plans but I probably need to tell Sam that the Cullens are gone." Jake replied. He sounded as if he wanted to put that conversation off but he knew he couldn't; the pack needed to know that the Cullens were gone for good. They would be able move their perimeter out further and that was a really good thing; it meant more protection for every human in Forks, including me.

"Sounds good to me. It will be nice to see the pack again. It feels like forever since I seen them last." I said as we headed to my old, red truck. I slid into the driver's side as Jake slid into the passenger seat. I turned the key in the ignition and it roared to life. I put the truck in gear and began the twenty minute drive to La Psuh. Jake filled the cab of my truck with chatter and I filled it with my laughter at the absurd things he would say.

I looked over at him as I stopped at the only red light between my house and Jake's. He was still talking about something that Quil had said to him but I was to absorbed in the way his dimple would pop up on his chin when he smiled or laughed. I loved the way we could easily talk and laugh; it was never that way with Edward. He was always serious and we never joked. It felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders; not everyone can be serious all the time. Everyone except vampires that is...

"Bells? Are you even listening to anything I am saying?" Jake said, pulling me away from my thoughts. I looked up at the light to realize it had already turned yellow and then it changed to red. "What were you thinking about so hard?"

"I was thinking about you and how Edward never let me joke around. I'm sorry. I didn't even realize the light had changed or anything." I apologized. The light changed to green and I stomped on the gas and my old truck wheezed but still went forward. My poor truck; it is getting to old to be driven.

"Why are you apologizing? You just had me worried, Bells. I was talking and I look over at you; you looked completely zoned out." Jake replied, worry making his voice sound off. I smiled to myself; I loved how he was always worrying about me, even if he was in the same truck as me.

"I love you, Jake." I whispered. I tried to avoid his gaze at all costs but when he didn't say anything after a couple mintutes, it worried me and I had to chance a look. I looked over at him and saw a look of pure love and affection written all over his face. He looked over at me and smiled MY grin.

"I love you, too." Jake whispered back, leaning across the seat to kiss me on the cheek as we pulled into his driveway. I turned the engine off and pulled the keys out of the ignition. "I am going to call an emergency meeting with the pack in the field behind the house. Would you like to come with me to help explain?"

"Of course I would. Didn't I tell you I wanted to see everyone?" I asked him as I slid my hand into his. He intertwined our fingers together and squeezed.

"I know you did but I wasn't sure if you were ready to see them all now." He replied, sounding embarassed for a reason I could not imagine. I looked up at his face and the hard mask was in place of the joy that was very present on his face just moments ago.

"What's wrong, Jake? Is there something that you are not telling me?" I asked. His reaction scared me to death. I never would have thought that my Jake would be so taken aback with what I had said.

"Nothing. I know that Leah is not very...uhh... happy with you right now." Jake said hesiantly.

"Why? Have I done something wrong?" I asked in confusion. I have never said anything to Leah and I have never done anything to make her mad at me for any reason. It didn't make sense to me.

"Well... When I found out that you had agreed to marry the leech, it really upset me. And, with the telepathy thing everyone felt how I was feeling which was crappy. Leah took it to heart because she knew how I felt and she holds it against you." Jake said, without looking at me. It surprised me that Leah hated me because of the way I made Jake feel. It makes me think that maybe she feels something for him...

"Well, I will never do that to you again, so it doesn't matter any more. I love you with every ounce of my heart and nothing less." I told him boldly. He smiled down at me and replied by kissing me tenderly on the lips.

"Well, you can wait inside with Billy and I will come and get you before we meet in the field. Okay?" He said, leading me to the door with his hand on the small of my back. He leaned down and kissed me on the forehead. I knocked on the door and heard Billy say come in.

I walked inside and was greeted with a warm hello from Billy. "What brings you here?" He asked me as I took a seat on the couch.

"Well... I..uuhhh... changed my mind about Edward... I.. uuhh... chose Jake instead." I said, stuttering. I knew the reaction I would get from Billy; he has always wanted me to be a part of the family but I was scared of the critism that I might get.

"That's great! I always knew you would come around!" Billy exclaimed and I knew that if he wasn't stuck in his chair, he would have bear-hugged me. I smiled over at him and layed my head back on the back of the couch.

I closed my eyes and reflected on all the events leading up to now... The first day I saw Edward Cullen, the day I walked on the beach with Jake and he told me the legends of his tribe, the day Jasper attcked me, the day Edward left, the months I walked around as a zombie, the day that I picked up the motorcycles and took them to Jake, the days in his garage, the day I jumped off the cliff and went home to find Alice at my house, the race to Italy to save Edward, the days I walked hand-in-hand with Edward at school, the days away from Jake, Victorica coming to find me, the newborn fight, the wonderful kiss with Jake in the woods before the fight, the night I agreed to marry Edward, the dream I had this morning and then there is now. My life felt whole now; I didn't have to give up anything to be with Jake. I could always be happy in the warmth of my werewolf...

A knock at the door broke me out of my trance. I jumped up and yanked the door open to find Jake standing there. I fling myself into his arms and he spins me around. I laugh and hide my head in his chest; I breathe in the scent of the outdoors. Jake kisses the top of my head and sets me on back down. I turn and see Billy staring at us with a huge grin on his face. I can automatically feel my cheeks heat up with embarrassment at our display. Jake smiles down at me and then over at his father.

"Well, I guess that Bella told you her latest decision." Jake said, not asking but stating. He knew me too well to know that I would let him tell his dad; his dad loved me anyway. It wouldn't matter to Billy if we decided to get married today; Charlie is the only one stopping us.

"Of course she did. If she hadn't, I would of had to wait on you to tell me and we all know that you are always gone or sleeping. So, I would never find out until either Bella or Charlie told me." Billy said and I started to laugh. I tried not to but Billy was right; Jacob is the worst at delivering news, good or bad.

"Bells, we are heading over to Emily's instead of the field. Everyone was already there any way." Jake said, changing the subject. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah. I'm as ready as I will ever be." I stated. We said our goodbyes to Billy and walked outside into the cool, Washington weather.


	3. Chapter 3: A New Beginning

Chapter 3: A Surprise is Coming

"You ready, Bells?" Jake asked me for the hundredth time already. I smile up at him and the tension in his shoulders relax.

"For the thousandth time, YES!" I reply with a huge grin on my face. He looks down at me and smiles. He leans forward to kiss me on the forehead as he slowly leads me to the open door of Sam and Emily's house.

I always admired Emily's little house; it looked so cute and delicate. We walked into the front door as a huge chorus of gasps fill the room. I get looks from Paul and Leah while everyone else comes up and hugs me. Emily looks the happiest that the "vampire girl" is back. The rest of them looked more happy for Jake than me and that was fine; I was happy that I could put that warm smile on this face.

"So, any news?" Sam asks Jake. Jake nodded and Sam waited for him to continue. Jake looked at me and so did everyone else. I looked down at my feet and heard a few chuckles; I was sure one of them came from Quil and the other from Embry.

"Bella has chosen me instead of...uhhh... Edward and I am think that they Cullens are leaving. That means that we can take our lines further out and that also means we need more patrols." Jake said, his voice suddenly taking a serious note. Again, everyone's attention turned back to me and I felt my face get hot.

"Well, I will handle the new patrols while everyone eats, sleeps and takes a break for a couple hours. We will all meet here at seven tonight to get the new schedule. Until then, everyone can do what they want." Sam said in a dissmissive tone. Everyone went in their seperate ways; Jake and I stayed in the cottage and waited until everyone was gone.

"Sam, what are we going to do about patrols?" Jake asked. I decided that I didn't want to listen to their conversation about patrols, so I walked over to where Emily was seated on the couch. I sat beside and she turned to face me with a huge smile on her face.

"I am very happy for you and Jake. It males me happy to see the both of you glowing." Emily said to me. I smiled at her as she leaned towards me and wrapped me in a hug. I hugged her back and was glad that Emily and I were becoming close; it would be nice to have a girlfriend to talk to while I am in La Push.

"Thanks. I am very happy and even happier because of the change in Jake. It makes me glow from the inside to the outside to know that I have put that smile on his face. I truly love him, Emily." I said, sounding gushy even to myself. To my surprise, I saw tears well up in her eyes. "I didn't mean to make you cry." I quickly said as soon as I saw the tears.

"No, its nothing you said. I am so glad to hear that you love him and I can see the happiness you two bring each other. I am almost jealous; Sam and I have dated for a long time but we have not yet achieved the happiness you and Jake have reached." She said, smiling up at me through her tears. I smile back at her and reach over for another hug when I hear someone clearing their throat behind us. We break apart to see Jake and Sam standing behind us. I blush a deep red color and Emily does too. We both look down at our feet and smile to ourselves.

I suddenly feel a warm hand lift my chin up and I am looking into brown eyes; my heart starts to melt as I see the love and affection written all over Jake's face. "Bells, lets go to the beach. I have a surprise for you." Jake says, almost relunctantly. I get up from the couch and Jake intertwines his fingers with mine. I let him drag me out of the small cottage and I also let him lift me onto his back. He takes off running in the direction of the beach and "our" tree. I can feel the wind in my hair and I can also feel the rain mixing with my hair. I lean into Jake's shoulder blades and try to hide myself from the wind and rain.

We come to an abrupt stop infront of "our" tree. I sit down on the tree as Jake begins to pace infront of me, a nervous habit he has a tendencty of doing. I sit quietly as he continues to pace. Soon, my patience runs thin and I say, "Jake, what's wrong?"


	4. Chapter 4: A Wonderful Surprise

Chapter 4: No Words

"Give me a minute." Jake said. I sat on the roots of the tree and tried my hardest to wait patiently but patience only goes so far. Jake started to pace and glanced in my direction everytime he would pass me. I sat until I couldn't take it anymore. I jumped up from my seat on the tree and planted my feet infront of him. He stopped in his tracks and looked down at me. He leaned forward and kissed me on the lips. It started off slow and sweet but then I could feel the ergency in the way his lips moved roughly against mine. I pulled away to look into Jake's eyes to try and interpret his mood, but the only thing I saw was the mask in place.

"Jacob Black, tell me what is going on right now or so help me God, I WILL kill you!" I said, putting a little venom in my tone to make me sound serious. He looked at me and I could tell by the look on his face that he knew I was bluffing.

"Well, here goes nothing..." Jake said getting down on one knee and pulling out a small, black box. My heart stopped beating and I enhaled a breath. "Isabella Marie Swan, will you marry me?"

"YES! OH JAKE, YES!" I scream, jumping into his arms and planting a kiss on his lips. He grabs me up in his arms and twirls me around. I look down into his eyes and I feel my eyes welling up with tears. He sets me back on the ground and takes the beautiful ring out of the little black box. He takes my left hand and slides it onto my ring finger. I looked down at the ring now sitting on my finger and the tears leave my eyes; I can't hold them in any longer. Jake pulls me into his arms and sits on the tree.

"What's wrong, Bells? You don't have to marry me if you don't want to. I understand if you don't want to. I will always be here waiting when you're ready, Bells. There's no rush." Jake whispered in my ear, trying to soothe me. I try to look into Jake's eyes but my tears have clouded my vision and I can't see him. Jake wipes away my tears and I smile up at my personal sun. I love him so much and I am crying right after he propses to me. He must think I am crazy.

"Jacob Black, I love you. I will never love anyone as much as I love you and there will never be anyone else but you. You are my one and only. You are my best friend and my lover. You understand me more than I understand myself sometimes." I told him and stood up on my tipey toes. I pressed my lips to his and his arms wrap around my waist. He pulls me close and I wrap my arms around his neck. I pull myself tighter to him and then we break apart, both us gasping for breath.

"I love you, too. Bells, guess what we have to do?" Jake asks. Hearing the smile in his voice, I turn around and give him a questioning look. "We have to tell Charlie." I groan outloud and he laughs.

"So, do you want to die now or later?" I ask him as he pulls me towards the road. He looks back at me and smiles my smile.

"Never but we do have to tell Charlie." Jake says. "Fine. But, you're telling him." I reply. He looks back at me again and smiles. His smile stops my heart and I realize that it doesn't matter what Charlie says, or even Billy. I want to marry Jake and suddenly, the realization hits me. I love Jake with everything I have and I don't want to live without him.

"Why? Do you really think Charlie is going to mind that you're marrying me?" Jake asks teasingly. I look over at him and I can finally see the love for me shining in his eyes.

"No, I know he isn't going to mind. And, even if he did, I wouldn't care because I love you with everything I am." I tell him, blushing as red as a apple. He looks down at me and smiles his heartbreaking smile. I smile back up at him and he leans down to kiss me. I can feel the heat of his lips on mine. "Jake, I love you."

"Bells, I love you too." Jake whispers in my ear as I feel his arms wrap around my waist. "So, when should we tell Charlie?"

"How about now?" I ask him, hoping he will say we can wait.

"Then, let's go." He replies, pulling me unto his back as he races towards my small house in Forks. 


	5. Chapter 5: An Unpleasant Delay

A/N: Sorry that this chapter has taken so long. I have had a lot going on right now but everything is better now!

I can feel the wind on my face as we race towards Forks. I look around me at the trees that we pass; it looks as if they are moving out of our way instead of us moving out of the way of them. I loved this feeling; the feeling of flying as Jake carries me on his back. I continue to watch the passing trees when suddenly Jake comes to a complete stop. I try to look around him but it's impossible without falling off of his back. I can feel Jake rumbling under me and I start to panic. My heart begins to race and my breathing begins to speed up.

"Well, look what we have here." Says a cold stone voice. At that moment, I didn't need to look to know who that voice belonged to. My heart jumped into my mouth and I began to hyperventalate.

"Edward, what are you doing here?" I asked, my voice shaking. Jake lowered to the floor of the forest slowly. I jump off of his back and he runs behind a copse of trees. He comes back within a matter of seconds, fully dressed and in his human form. He takes a protective stance infront of me.

"Now, before you say anything to Bella, I want you to know that you will NOT try to hurt either of us in any way. If you do, I WILL kill you." Jake says, his hands shaking. I place my hand on his shoulder and his shaking is more controlled but not completely stopped.

"I will not promise something that I am unable to keep. I promise not to harm Bella in any way... But you I can never promise not to hurt." Edward said, his voice iced over. His tone made a shiver run down my bac; he was acting more like a vampire than I had ever seen.

"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen, you will NOT hurt Jacob. If you love me, you will not lay a finger on Jacob Black, or so help me God, I WILL let Jacob kill you. I have put up with enough of your games and I refuse to put up with any more of your crap." I yelled at him. I was fuming; my hands were shaking and I wanted to hit him but I knew that it was pointless. I would break my hand if I tried to hit him like I did when I punched Jake. Edward looked over at me with curiosity and confusion written on his face. I had never talked to him like that but it felt really good to finally tell him how I truly felt. "Don't you dare give me that look! I can't believe you made me think that you loved me! You never loved me! I was just one of your fancy new toys! I should have never trusted you! I will hate you for the rest of my life and if there is an afterlife, I'll hate you then, too!" I yelled at him; my voice rising with every word. Edward and Jacob both looked at me as if I were a ghost or something. Slowly, a smile spread across Jake's face and I smiled back at him; I think he was enjoying this too much.

Edward dropped to his knees and his expression was pained beyond anything I had ever seen on the face on any person. I had to look away or those golden eyes I loved would pull me towards him. I heard moans coming from him and it tore my heart into pieces. "Isabella Marie Swan, I will always love you. You will never realize the hold you have on my heart. I loved you the moment I first saw your beautiful face. My heart is broken beyond repair because you have chosen the dog over me. But, I will always he waiting in the wings for you to change your mind again and choose me." Edward says with pure pain in his eyes. If he could have cried, I think he might have. I did not meet the gaze I could feel on me; if I did I would cry until there were no more tears to cry.

"I can never love you again. You left without saying anything. You even left without making sure I was okay. Do you have any idea how that made me feel? No, you don't! Because you only think about yourself and that is the only thing you are capable of doing! You only want me because I smell so good to you." I said, putting as much venom in my voice as I could muster. I was trying desperately to make my self hate the god sitting infront of me but there was still a piece of my heart that would always belong to him.

" I am terribly sorry that you feel that way. I never intended to act or for anyone, especially you, to think that. I do not only think of myself. If I make a decision, you are the first person that I ask myself how will it effect you. You will always have a piece of my heart. You were my first love and you will be the last, Isabella Swan. I promose never to bother you again. But, always know that If you ever change your mind, no matter what age you are, I will ALWAYS be here for you." He replied. I finally look up into his eyes and feel nothing, not even sympathy. He has broken my heart for the last time. I will never let this idiotic man hurt me ever again.

"You can leave now. And, NEVER come back." I said. Then I added, "Oh, and tell Alice that I love her and hope she understands." He just nods his head and walks away without saying anything. 


	6. Chapter 6: Prepare

"Bells, are you okay?" Jake asks, wrapping his arms around my waist. I turn to face him and I bury my face in this chest. He rubs my back in soothing circles. I feel tears building up behind my eyes and try my best to keep them in. "Bells, I don't want you to be upset. That stupid bloodsucker shouldn't have even been there! I hate to see how much he is hurting you. I will understand if you don't want to marry me. I know how you must be feeling right now and I don't want you to rush into something that you don't want." Jake replies in a rush. That stops my tears from coming. I want to immediately explain that the reason I'm crying has nothing to do with him; I hate Edward for acting like he cared when he didn't.

"Jake, I promise you I want to marry you more than I ever wanted to marry... Ed... him." I replied, tripping over Edward's name. Jake looked down at me and kissed me on the forehead. I smiled up at him and he smiles the smile that melts my heart. I wrap my arms around his neck and lay my head on his shoulders.

"Glad to hear it. I love you, Bella Swan." He whispers in my ear. I smile to myself and say not a word. He knows I love him and would never be able to love anyone else as much as I love him. He squeezes me harder and I begin to laugh.

"Jake!... I can't... breathe!" I managed to say. He quickly losened his grip and began to laugh. I turn towards him and smile. He pulls me against his chest and leans down to kiss me. I dance out of the way and start to run. It's not too long before he catches up with me and wraps his arms around my waist.

He pulls me close and whispers in my ear, "And, just where do you think your going?" A shiver runs down my spine as his warm breath hits the back of my neck. I smile and my heart begins to beat a million times a minute; my breathing speeds up as he turn me around to face him. He presses his lips to mine and the kiss starts out slow and sweet. My hands intertwine in his hair and his hands are in mine. I wrap my legs around his waist and he pushes me back until my back is up against a tree. He pulled away and I giggled. He looked down at me and smiled. He leaned his head down so that we were forhead to forhead. " I think we should get to Charlie's, unless you would rather wait and we could... uhhhh... find something else to occupy our time."

"Let's go BEFORE we do something that we may regret later." I say, lauging. Jake takes my hand in his and then he pulls me into his arms. I wrap my arms around is neck and kiss me on the cheek. He starts to jog in the direction we were going before we were interrupted. I see a break in the trees and realize that we were closer to Charlie's than I thought. "I didn't realize we were so close to Charlie's house."

"Yeah. I knew we were close... About the bloodsucker... if you want to see Alice or any of the others you can. I don't mind you seeing any of the rest of them but Edward is not to come within a fifty mile radius of you." Jacob said, with a harsh edge to his voice. I just laughed and held his face in my hands. He leaned into my hand and I laughed harder.

"Well.. I guess we have to tell Charlie." I said, as we walked onto the porch of my home in Forks. 


	7. Chapter 7: Unexpected Delay

Jake knocked on the door and I could hear Charlie call out a "come on in!" I smiled at that and opened the door. I walked into the living room and suddenly stopped. Sitting on the couch, next to my father, was Alice and Rosalie.

"Oh my goodness!" I exclaimed. I ran up to them and hugged them both. "What are you guys doing here? Is there anyone else with you?"

"It's just us here. Everyone else is... umm... going to Tonya's." Alice replied. Her and Rosalie exchanged quick glances and then looked back at me. "We wanted to talk to you about something."

"Sure, sure. Anything." I replied automatically. Again, they looked at each other sheepishly. "What's going on?"

"Well... How about we go outside?" Rosalie suggested. Alice took one of my hands and Rosalie took the other one as they led me outside. Jacob wrapped his arms around my waist and Rosalie hissed at him.

"Easy, Rose. Either he comes with us or I don't step one foot outside." I told her. Rose gave a dirty look but didn't comment. I loved Alice but Rosalie was starting to make me a little uncomfortable. Jacob stepped from around of all of us and stopped right infront of us.

"We have gone far enough. I demand to know what is going on here." Jake said, his hands starting to shake. I took his hand in mine and the shaking dimmed down but didn't stop.

"Jake, its okay. They aren't going to hurt me. Wait... you guys aren't here to hurt me, right?" I said, turning towards Alice and Rosalie. They shook their heads, telling me they weren't here to hurt me. "See, they just want to talk."

"Well, start talking." Jake said roughly. I looked at the girls, expecting them to start talking but they were too busy staring at each other. Suddenly, I realized that Rose was looking at Alice, but Alice wasn't looking back at Rose; she was seeing something completely different than our surroundings.

"Alice? What do you see?" I asked hastily. I looked from Rose to Alice and could see the same worry I was feeling etched onto Rose's face. Rose pulled a small silver phone out of her pocket and began dialing a number I couldn't see. She began whispering into the phone too fast and too low for my human ears to comprehend. I looked up into Jake's eyes and could see worry in his eyes. "Jake, you can hear what Rose is saying, can't you?" When he shook his head yes, I asked another question. "Who did she call?"

"She called Carlisle and Carlisle is sending Edward here. I think we should go to Charlie now, so that we aren't here when Edward gets here." He whispered in my ear. Before I could protest, I was in his arms and at the door in a matter of seconds. He knocked on the door again and Charlie let us in. 


	8. Chapter 8: Glad that's over!

Chapter 8: Glad that's over!

A/N: Sorry guys that this has taken me so long to notice that my chapters were all messed up!

"Hey, Dad!" I say as Charlie pulls me into a hug. I smile at him as he releases me and see that Jake is coming through the door behind me. Charlie's grin widens and pulls Jake in for a hug as well. I smile warmly at Jake and he winks at me. I roll my eyes at Jake and he smiles as Charlie lets him go. Jake walks over to me and takes my hand. He pulls me towards the loveseat in the living room as Charlie takes a seat in his usual chair. Charlie looks from me to Jake and back again.

"So, do you have something you would like to tell me?" Charlie asks, looking pointedly at our intertwined fingers. I smile shyly at Charlie and look at Jake to urge him to say something. Jake smiles at me then turns to Charlie.

"Well, Charlie we have some good news." Jake says and Charlie raises his eyebrow. Jake smiles and looks down at me. He raises his eyebrow and waits for me to continue. I take a breath and look at Charlie. He's looking at me expecting an answer from one of us; Charlie is not a very patient person.

"I have decided that Jake means more to me than Edward does. I love Jake and he has asked me to marry him. I said yes." I say, looking down at our intertwined fingers. Jake squeezes my hand and I look up at him. He smiles reassuringly and I shrug my shoulders. I look over at Charlie and see surprise and pure happiness written on his face. I smile at him and a grin lights his face.

"Really, Bella? You guys are getting married? And no more Edward?" He asks incredulously. I laugh and shake my head no. "So, how long have you decided this?"

"Well, at almost seven o'clock this morning. I... uhhh… called Edward and told him we were finished and then called Jake. He rushed over here and we went to see Billy. He was so happy that he practically jumped up out of his wheelchair. I knew you weren't up yet we hung out with Billy for a little bit." I said, smiling at the memory of telling Billy the good news. Charlie smiles at me and then gets up from his chair to walk over to Jake and I. He wraps both of us in his arms and squeezes.

"I'm so happy for you guys. Jake, welcome to the family." Charlie says and we all break out into laughter. I hug Charlie back and he releases us. "How about we celebrate a little and go out to eat?"

"Well, Jake needs to get back to the Rez so we can tell his friends. Maybe we can all go out and celebrate tomorrow night. Billy can come and we could go to the dinner, eat our first meal as a family." I say, hoping Charlie will not be too mad.

"Sure, that sounds great! See you tomorrow, Bells! Jake, you take care of her!" Charlie calls as we head out the door. As I close the door, Jake pushes me against the door and plants a kiss on my lips. I smile against his lips and then kiss him again. He pulls away and presses his forehead against mine. He smiles down at me and I kiss his lips lightly.

"That was easier than I thought it would be." I whisper against his lips and his lips twitch as he tries not to smile.

"I told you it would be easy. He adores me. I knew that our fathers would not care if we agreed to get married. We were already family. This just makes it more official and makes you mine." Jake says smiling down at me and bends down to kiss me. I wrap my arms around his neck and wrap my legs around his waist. I deepen the kiss and I hear a moan escape his lips.

The door opens from behind us and Jake catches me before I can fall. Charlie is shaking his head at us and smiles. I feel my cheeks burn a bright red and smile at Charlie. "So, where you kids headed?"

"Well, there's a meeting at the Rez and Jake invited me." I say, hoping that Charlie will find it boring and not want to come.


	9. Chapter 9: Never Ending

"Oh really? Maybe, I could come with you guys?" My dad asked. I looked at Jake quickly and I knew what he would see on my face; he would see worry and panic. He pulled me into his chest and rubbed soothing circles into my back.

"I'm sorrry, Charlie. It's kind of a private party. But, we are having one soon to celebrate our engagement and you will definietly be invited." Jake replied, hoping that he had fooled Charlie enough.

"Oh, okay. Well, I guess I'll see you guys soon then." Charlie said, but I could tell by the look on his face he didn't buy what Jake had said.

"Bye, Dad! I love you and I'll come see you tomorrow." I called over my shoulder as Jake and I headed towards the door.

"Oh and Bella?" My dad called to me as I turned the nob of the door.

"Yeah, Dad?" I asked, walking back into the living room.

"Because you're going to marry Jake, does that mean you're moving in with him?" He asked me, looking at his feet. I looked over at Jake and he shrugs his shoulders. I sign in exasperation and look at my dad. He looks as if he is holding back tears and it makes me tear up.

"Dad, I don't know, but I'll let you know when we figure it out. Okay?" I say exasperated that my father is thinking ahead of me. "Dad, I love you and I'll see you soon." I call over my shoulder as Jake pulls me towards the door.

"Okay, Bella. I uhh... love you, Bells. Come see me soon." Charlie called to me. I hated to leave him but he needs to learn how to take care of himself... properly.

"I told you I would, dad! I love you, too." I called to him as we walked out of the door. I glanced a look at Jake but he wasn't looking at me. His jaw was on edge and I immediately went on high alert. "Jake, what's going on?"

"I'm not sure but I smell more than one bloodsucker out there. I am NOT going to leave you behind, but I need you to stay behind me. I don't not know whats going on but I need you to stay safe." Jake said, looking into my eyes and his seemed to be pleading with me. The look on his face frightened me but I followed behind him without complaint. We stumbled into the forrest and I could faintly hear the hissing of someone talking low and fast. I could only guess who it could be. As we got deeper into the woods by my dad's house, the voices grew louder and louder until we could finally hear what was being said.

"I don't understand why you can't just leave them alone! You always told her that if she wanted to choose Jacob that you would leave willingly. And, this isn't exactly willingly. I know she is having a hard time with this enough without you interfering with it." Alice hissed at a person I couldn't see. But, if I had to guess, it would have to be Edward.

"I love her, Alice! I refuse to let that stupid mutt have her after everything that we have been through! I will not leave this way! She told me that she never wanted to see me again! But, what does she expect me to do after all of our time together?" Edward yelled at her. I tried to hold my sigh in but it came out any way. Jacob looks back at me and wraps an arm around my waist. I lean into him and he is holding half of my weight. I look up into his brown eyes and know in my heart I am making the right decision.

At that moment, I step on a twig and it breaks. Edward and Alice's conversation ceases to exist. Jake and I stop breathing but Jacob pushes me behind him anyway. Within minutes, Alice, Edward, Rosealie and Emmett are standing infront on us. Emmett smiles at me and I smile back. Edward is giving Jake the death stare while Alice and Rose are glancing between themselves and Edward.

"Well, if it isn't the heartbreaker herself?" Edward sneers at me. I smile my sweet and innocent smile at him and the awful look washes away from his face. In it's place is pain and agony wrapped into one.

"You know that I heard the end of your conversation right? I don't expect you to move on right away but you knew that this could happen? The way I look at it is that you didn't say goodbye so you didn't care at all! How could you just leave me without saying goodbye?" I yell at him and hold up my hand when he gets ready to protest. "If you truly loved me, you would have waited to say goodbye!" I look at him and the pain and agony is replace by the stone-cold mask I know all to well. He doesn't realize that I know him too well and that his mask has no affect on me.

"Bella, how many times do I have to tell you that I love you? I always will and I always have, from the moment I saw you in the lunchroom at Forks High. There will never be another person right for me. Please, take me back." He says, ending up on his knees. He takes my hand and kisses it like you see in the old movies. I pulled my hand out of his and Jake takes it in his hands. Edward looks up at Jake and growls.

"Edward, I loved you once. I love Jake. There will be no other than Jake and I'm sorry if you can't or won't accept that but you have to. I am really really really sorry but you have to leave me be. You need to move on somehow instead of holding on to something that no longer exists." I whisper, not having the strength to talk above a whisper. Edward looks at me with a question in his eyes and I look away from his gaze. It pains me to tell him this but he needs to hear it. I truly love Jake but that doesn't keep me from loving Edward too. I sure have made a mess of things...


	10. Chapter 10: New Friend

Edward looks at me and his face is stone cold. His eyes are filled with such hatred it makes me shiver. Jake wraps a possesive arm around my waist and I lean into him. Edward's eyes turn into slits and Alice jumps infront of him, as if she is holding him back. She smiles apologetically at me and I smile back at her, not sure how it looks.

"I will not let you hurt her, Edward." Emmett, Alice and Rose all say together. I look from one to the other and smile to myself. Alice and Emmett were always my protectors, after Edward of course, but it surprised me that Rose was standing up for me. I smiled at Rose and she smiles back, but hers is tense.

"I won't let you near her." Jacob growled at him. I turn towards him and push him back. He falters a few steps until his back is against a tree. I smile at him reassuringly and he grimaces back. I stroke his cheek and he leans his head into my hand. I can feel his smile against my hand and I grab his face between my hands.

"The face between my hands is precious to me and you will not hurt it by getting into a fight." I tell him. Then I turn towards Edward. "You promised you would leave me alone. I do not hate you but I want to move on. I'm sorry about all of the horrible things I have said but I need you to move on! For me?" I tell him, pleading with my eyes. I see the indecision in his eyes and I see the cold mask slip for seconds. I recogonized hurt, anger and amazement. But, amazement at what?

"I only want you and you are asking me to perform an impossible task. It is as if I have asked you to quit breathing, you would not be able to. I ask of you this... Do you still love me?" Edward whispers as he sinks to his knees. The mask is completely gone and there is agony all over his face. I feel heartbroken to have put it there but I can't help how my heart feels.

"Yes, but not in the same way I did before. It is a best friend love. I am truly sorry to break things off the way I did but its for the best." I whisper back as I walk towards him. Alice, Emmett and Rose move out of my way and I take Edward's hand in mine. I hear Jake growl behind me but choose to ignore it. "Edward Anthony Mason Cullen, I want you to move on from me and find someone that looks ten times as stunning as you say I do. This is the only thing that I ask of you. Please, for me, move on and let me be happy."

"If thats how you want it, I promise you it will be as if I never existed." Edward whispers and kisses my forehead. He runs off into the forrest and I turn back to our audience. Jake's face is the first one I see and I hate what I see there. His eyes are full of pain. I walk over to him and he opens his arms for me. I wrap my arms around his waist. I bury my head in his chest and he rests his chin on my head.

"Sorry about that." I whisper into his chest. I look up at him and he leans down. His lips brush against mine and mine answer to every question on his lips. He pulls away from me and I look at Alice, Rose and Emmett. They are smiling at me and I can feel my cheeks gettting hot. "I hate to say goodbye to ya'll." I whisper to them, knowing they can hear me.

"This doesn't have to be goodbye if you don't wish it to be." Alice says walking over to me and hugging me. I hug her back and she laughs her bell-like laugh. Emmett walks over to me and gives me a huge bear hug. I laugh as he places my feet back on solid ground. Surprisingly, Rosalie walks up to me and hugs me.

"Will you take a walk with me? I would like to speak with you alone." Rosalie whispers in my ear. I shake my head yes, not trusting my voice. She takes my hand and leads me further into the woods. When I loose sight of the others, Rosalie stops. "I want to apologize for how I treated you while you dated my brother. It was foolish of me and I hope that you are not leaving him because of me." She replied in a rush. I smiled at her and sighed in relief. I thought she was going to chew me out for dumping her brother.

"I promise that I am not leaving your brother because of the way you treated me. I love Jacob Black and he treats me like I am a princess. And that is one thing I love about him." I replied honestly, smiling at her. She smiled back at me.

"I hope that you can forgive me of my actions and that we can keep in touch. I may not know where we are going next but I have grown to see you as a sister." Rose said, smiling at me.

"Of course I forgive you and I have always thought of you as a sister, Rose. You have my number, right?" I asked her and continued when she shook her head yes. "You can call me anytime and maybe you and Alice could come and take me shopping."

Rose laughed at that and said, "I bet Alice would love that. I'm glad that you have forgiven me. Now, lets head back. I think we are leaving soon." She took my hand and again, led me back to where the others were standing. They all were giving us questioning looks but we only smiled at them. There was a sad goodbye scene and then the Cullens vanished from our spot in the forrest. Only leaving behind the sweet smell of vampire and a breeze in the trees that soon disappeared as they did.

I hated to see them go but knew that it was what I wanted. I had no regrets about my decision.


	11. Chapter 11: Never Alone

Chapter 11: Never Alone

"Well, now that we are alone…."I whisper as Jacob takes me into his arms and pushes me up against a tree. I giggle into his chest and he smiles down at me. He leans down and kisses me. My arms wrap around his neck and my legs wrap around his waist. His lips move with mine and I hear a groan escape his lips. I smile against his lips as he trails kisses down my neck and then back up to my lips.

"I love you, Isabella Marie Swan. There will never be any one else but you. I can see you at the end of the aisle at our wedding and I see your stomach swollen with my child. I want both of those things more than you ever know. I cannot wait to see you as a blushing bride. I cannot wait to see our children playing in our backyard and cliff diving." Jake whispers and I smile at him. Suddenly, I can see it. I see our wedding and I see Jacob standing at the end of the aisle, waiting for me. I see the smile on his face as he sees me coming towards him. I see the minister in front of us. I see Jake lean in to kiss me and then us walking down the aisle. Then, I see our children playing out in the front yard as Jake and I swing on our front porch.

"I can see it, too. I want it just as much as you." I whisper against his lips. I press my lips to his and his hands wrap up in my hair. He deepens the kiss and my back presses harder against the tree. I laugh against his lips. I feel his smile against my lips and he presses his forehead to mine. "I love you, Mr. Black."

"I love you, Mrs. Black." He says, smiling. I smile back. "That has a nice ring to it." He says, still smiling.

"Yes it does. So, I have a question then." I say, looking anywhere but at him. He lifts my eyes to his and his face instantly turns serious.

"You can ask me anything, but what's wrong?" Jacob says with worry in his voice and written in his eyes.

"Well, Charlie asked if I was going to move in with you and it got me thinking… Am I going to move in with you?" I ask, biting my lips and looking up at him. He looks down at me as if to read the expression or the emotion behind my words. His forehead wrinkles and a lost in thought expression crosses over his face. I wait for him to answer and untangle my legs and arms from around him. He takes my hands into his and I look up into his eyes.

"Well, do you want to move in with me and my dad?" He asks. I shrug my shoulders at him and he frowns. "Or would you rather me move in with you and your dad?" I frown at that and he smiles down at me. "I'm sure my dad wouldn't mind if you moved in. We could go and talk to him after we go and talk to the pack."

"Okay. That's fine. When we get done talking to Billy, I'll need to talk to Charlie and then we need to set a date for our wedding." I say, smiling as I say the word "wedding". He smiles down at me and then kisses my lips. He takes my bottom lip between his teeth and gently pulls on it. I moan and my back arches in response. He pulls me closer and then pushes me up against the tree. My legs wrap around his waist and my fingers entangle themselves in his hair. He groans into my mouth and suddenly the kiss changes from passionate to just raw desire.

Someone clears their throat from behind us and Jake tears his lips from mine. I untangle myself from him but take his hand. I look down at my feet and feel my cheeks turn a bright red. Jake squeezes my hand and I look up to see his cheeks are slightly red as well. I smile and then turn to see who saw our display of affection. I gasp in surprise as I see Jared standing before us with a huge grin on his face. I frown at him and he doubles over in laughter.

"Jared, it's nice that you find this funny at our expense." Jake growls at him. I continue to frown at Jared until his laughter fades and he straightens up again. He smiles at me and I stick my tongue out at him. This time Jacob bursts into laughter and I turn to frown at him.

"Well, Sam sent me to find you because in case you haven't notices but our pack meeting started almost an hour ago. But, I see what has kept you away. You seemed pretty occupied to me." Jared replies with an evil grin on his face. I frown at him again and then turn my head away as I feel my cheeks deepen a couple shades of red.

"I hadn't realized what time it was but I have also been quite busy today. I had some things come up." Jake says smiling at Jared. Jared smiles back at him and then turns to look at me. His eyes accuse me but they also express amusement. "We really should get to Sam's house then." Jake say, seeing the look me and Jared were sharing. I sense his discomfort and squeeze his hand.

"Yeah, we really should. But, you have to say why you were so late. You also seem to have some other things to explain, too." Jared says, looking pointedly at me. I stick out my tongue again at him and he just laughs.


	12. Chapter 12: Announcment & Kidnapped

Jake takes my hand and begins to walk towards what I presume is La Push. I feel Jared's on me and I suddenly feel self conscious. Jacob looks down at me and sees the discomfort on my face. He suddenly stops and turns to face Jared. "Look man, Bella and I are together. I have something to tell everyone when we get to Sam's. Stop staring. You're making Bella uncomfortable."

"Sorry, Bella. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." Jared says and we continue to walk. I have to practically run to keep up with them both. I tumble onto my hands and knees. Jacob pulls me into his arms and starts to carry me. I am quite grateful for this and lean my head against his chest.

"We should probably pick up the pace before Sam sends the whole pack after us." Jared says as he begins to sprint. Jake picks up his pace and soon we are ahead of Jared. I hear leaves crunch under Jake and Jared's feet and it lulls me to sleep…

"Bella's here? Is something wrong? What happened with the Cullen's?" I hear around me as I begin to wake up. I sat up to see all of the pack around me. They seemed to be in a panic and I was only catching snippets of their conversation. "Jacob, what's going on?"

"Bells, you're awake!" Jacob says, breaking away from the pack and coming to sit beside me on the couch. He leans down to whisper in my ear. "I haven't told them anything. I haven't even said a word. I wanted you to be awake when I told them so that if they had any questions for you that you could answer them."

I sit up and feel everyone's eyes on me. I begin to flush a scarlet and began to worry about how disheveled I looked. I shook that thought away and met the gazes that I felt on me since the moment they knew I was awake. A chorus of greetings met my ears as I stood up from the couch with Jake's arm to support me as I wasn't completely awake yet. I may not be completely alert but I did notice that Leah was glaring at me from the barstool across the room. Emily walks over to me and hugs me hard.

"It's great to see you again, but it would be great to know under what circumstances. Is something wrong?" Emily whispers in my ear. I shake my head at her and I hear her exhale a breath. Relief floods her face and then Jacob loudly clears his throat as he takes me back into his embrace.

"I have some great news!" Jacob says with a huge smile on his lips. He hugs me tighter and I smile at the crowd before us. "Bella has left Edward and she has agreed to marry me. The bloodsuckers are leaving town. So, we can take our patrols further out than we have them now." Choruses of congratulations assault us and we are suddenly the center of attention. I smile at everyone but Leah pushes through everyone and pulls me out of Jacob's arms. He pulls me out of the front door, down the front steps and farther away from the house. She stops and suddenly faces me.

"I need to talk to you." She hisses at me.


	13. Chapter 13: Declarations of Love

"What is it?" I ask her, scared out of my mind. Leah has never liked me and I never knew why. I think I am about to find out.

""I need to know that you are not going to go back to the stupid bloodsucker because, if you are, you can stop this charade and go back to him. Jacob has been hurt enough by you already and he doesn't need you leaving him at the altar." She says bitterly. I frown at her and my heart sinks. Does she really think so little of me?

"Leah, I thank you for your concern but, I love Jacob and will never go back to... uhhh... the bloodsucker as you call him. I want to marry Jake with all my heart and hope that I am the best wife possible to him because he deserves a woman that can love him unconditionally. I do love him that way and I will continue to." I reply, sounding very confident in how I feel. To my astonishment, Leah leans forward and hugs me! I gasp in surprise and feel Leah laugh.

"What? Am I hotter that what you're used to?" Leah asks jokingly. I shake my head no and she laughs again. "Then what?"

"I thought you hated me and would never be able to accept me as part of the werewolf family you guys have created. I never would have thought that you would accept me as easily as everyone else." I say sheepishly, rambling on an on.

"Bella, I never hated you personally. I hated you because I hated that you were continuously hurting Jacob. Like you said, he deserves someone that is going to love him unconditionally. And, now that you have sworn off bloodsuckers, I think that you are just the right girl for Jacob and I consider you my sister already." Leah says, hugging me tighter.

"Good!'Cause, I need help planning the wedding." I say, smiling up at Leah. I could tell the conversation was over when she began to gush about all of the beautiful ideas she had for my wedding. I held up my hand and she fell silent. "Not right now, though. And, I want to get back inside with Jake, if you don't mind."

"Of course." Leah says with a smile on her lips. We walk back to the cottage, arm in arm. We walk into the living room and Jake walks over to us. He pulls me into his arms and twirls around. He finally puts me down after a few minutes and gets down on one knee in front of everyone. He pulls out a black velvet box and my hands fly to my mouth.

"Isabella Marie Swan, I have been your best friend through your roughest times. I will always be your best friend, your shoulder to cry on, and the one that takes care of you if you ever get sick. I give you my heart and in return, I simply ask that you give me yours. I belong to you and I want you to belong to me. You accept me for who I am and what I am. You know that I love you, I always have and I always will. Will you do the honor of marrying me?" He asks, opening the box. Inside the satin sits a beautiful silver ring with a big diamond in the middle that is surrounded with smaller diamonds.

"Yes, Jacob Ephraim Black, I will marry you. I love you with every fiber of my meaning. You are the oxygen that I breathe in and the blood that runs in my veins. You are my best friend and I am yours. I will always love you and I will never leave you. I will be your wife and I will carry your children." I say, throwing myself into his arms. He catches me and spins me around. I hear all kinds of exclamations of congratulations and saying how cute we are. Jake sets me back on flat ground and places the ring on my ring finger of my left hand. As soon as Jake walks away to talk with the guys, Emily and Leah sweep me into a hug and are talking above my head about the location of the wedding. I shake my head at them but they don't notice. I see every member of the pack pat Jake on the back and look at me with a smile on their faces.


End file.
